


You wouldn't steal my Heart

by adamisalive



Category: Saw (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:41:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28294002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adamisalive/pseuds/adamisalive
Summary: 2004 Blockbuster AU!Adam lives a busy life juggling two jobs, struggling to get by at Christmas. Lawrence is in the middle of a divorce and in desperate need of a distraction. In which the boys meet at Blockbuster Video Store.
Relationships: Adam Faulkner-Stanheight/Lawrence Gordon
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	1. Labyrinth (1986)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in a long time, I hope you enjoy it! Trans character written by a trans person :).

_ _

  1. _Labyrinth (1986)_



_ Friday 26th November 2004  _

Upon entering the desolated video store _,_ Lawrence almost doubled-backed as fluorescent lights and heavy metal music attacked his senses. It was 8:30pm and his eyes had only just adjusted to the dark November night after leaving the Hospital. If he made this quick, maybe he’d actually be able to fulfil his promise of a movie night with Diana. His daughter was generally a sweet and forgiving girl, but she’d spent far too much time with the childminder recently than her own father. Incredibly, she hadn’t admitted that to Alison yet. Lawrence tried to convince himself that wasn’t part of the reason he was so desperate to stay in his daughter’s good books. 

Blocking out the indistinguishable lyrics of what apparently passed for ‘music’ the doctor walked up to the first employee he saw, hovering by the entrance. A woman with short punk-style hair was wearing a bright blue ‘Blockbuster’ t-shirt that looked a size too tight. She seemed to be staring past him out through the front window, as if she wanted to get away as soon as possible. Wanting to be polite but determined, Lawrence waved a hand in front of her face and offered her his kindest at-work smile. 

“Hello. Can you hear me? The music is loud-” He hesitated as the volume was suddenly turned down. From the corner of his eye he saw that another staff member had appeared behind the customer service desk, presumably finally deciding that being able to hear each other was actually important. He continued, “I was wondering if you could suggest a movie to me?”

The young woman blinked, turning to look at him and asking with feigned enthusiasm - “What kind of movie?”

Lawrence was ready to rush her into making that decision for him. “Something to watch with my daughter. Family friendly, fun.”

The brunette -  _ Amanda _ according to her name tag - cracked a smile. “Fun, right.” 

Suddenly the music cut out completely and raised voices could be heard from behind the customer service desk. There was a little alcove that Lawrence assumed would lead to the office, staff room or wherever you go to get yelled at. This place really needed soundproofing. 

Amanda had been mumbling to him something about Disney when the muffled voices became clearer and someone slammed a door. Lawrence couldn’t believe how unprofessional this place was. At the sight of a disgruntled employee storming through the store, Amanda couldn’t seem to suppress her laugh. “God - I’m so sorry. He _ always  _ does this.”

Lawrence was about to insist that he just grab a movie and go, when the young male employee approached him. He was a skinny pale-faced guy with messy dark hair. His uniform looked comfortably loose on him and his stoney face made Lawrence wonder how he even had a job there. He picked a movie off of the nearest shelf, seemingly at random and held it out to Lawrence. “Here you go buddy, enjoy.” Lawrence snatched it from his hands, already frustrated by the other man’s attitude. The guy had the nerve to look him up and down as he spoke to his colleague - “Mandy, I'm going for a smoke.” 

The young man -  _ Adam _ \- barged past him as Amanda gave a shrug. Lawrence made a mental note to not visit this video store again. He wasn’t judging them for disliking working here - hell he didn’t know their circumstances. Sitting in his office for hours on end, even he found himself looking at the clock every now and then. Very few people truly love their work, but time is money and he could have stayed an extra hour if he had known that this would be such a hassle. 

Lawrence had to wait in line behind an elderly woman who wasn’t sure if her grandson had asked her to rent  _ Antz  _ or  _ A Bug’s Life _ . He glanced at his watch and cursed under his breath as he finally approached the customer support counter. “Is this good for kids?” he asked impatiently. The man behind the counter was older than Adam and he was dressed in a crisp black and white suit. This must have been the store manager. Lawrence felt like he should complain about the staff after spending five minutes in the store being all but ignored, but he really needed to get home to Diana.

“I imagine so” came the dull response from the employee labeled  _ Peter. _ He’d barely given the video cover a glance, but to Lawrence’s relief he managed to find the corresponding vhs from the assortment of tapes behind him. 

Lawrence left the store so quickly he almost forgot to pay, very nearly bumping into Adam on his way out. Blinded by cigarette smoke, Lawrence hoped the younger man could see his stern look of disapproval as he headed to his car. 

“Enjoy the movie!” Adam piped up in a surprisingly optimistic tone for someone who had probably just had their job threatened. Something made the doctor stop for a moment and look back at the guy, who was leaning against the wall smirking as if he was James Dean. Wearing that thin cotton t-shirt and a pair of baggy jeans, he looked as cold as he’d been emotionally minutes before. 

“What made you pick that movie?” Lawrence wondered out loud, allowing himself to make the situation amusing after a needlessly stressful encounter. Suddenly all he wanted to do was go home and sleep. If she was lucky maybe Diana would get a short bedtime story.

Adam puffed on his cigarette and then smiled almost shyly, looking at the ground - “Dance magic dance, that shits amazing.”

  
Lawrence barely heard him and really had no idea what he was talking about. “Good to know,” he shrugged and then he was on his way home to a sleep that should have come sooner. He’d save watching  _ Labyrinth _ for another time. 


	2. Pinocchio (1940)

_ 2\. Pinocchio (1940) _

_ Friday 3rd December 2004 (1/2) _

A week after his latest warning, Adam had already fallen back into his routine of being twenty minutes late for work. No matter how many times Strahm looked at him like he’d pissed in his cereal, the guy was never gonna fire him. Well, unless he was suddenly ok with Adam telling Mrs Strahm her husband wasn’t the perfect citizen he appeared to be.  _ That _ was the only interesting thing about Peter Strahm. 

If Adam had to mention an excuse for his lateness, he blamed his messed up body clock - not helped by the uncertainties of his  _ other  _ job. Following people with his camera might have paid better but it definitely wasn’t as stable as his job at the video store. No matter how much he hated interacting with the public, at least he had Amanda to back him up and laugh at his sarcastic remarks. He owed her for helping him get this job. She was  _ alright _ \- a laugh. 

“Why don’t you just call him Peter?” Amanda asked as if the thought had only just occurred to her. She and Adam were updating the  _ new releases _ section of the store when he’d asked if she’d seen Strahm yet that day. 

“ _ Peter _ makes him sound even  _ more _ boring than he already is. Plus I can call him  _ Mr Strahmboli _ .” That was a new one.

Amanda raised an eyebrow at him as she tried to register the reference. She wasn’t half as interested in movies as he was. Adam was always rolling his eyes and sighing at the blank looks he received after quoting some obscure horror movie that had been banned in the US for some reason or other. 

Adam threw his handful of video cases onto the shelf and then joined her on the floor, crossed legged and surrounded by copies of _ The Bourne Supremacy _ ,  _ Spider-man 2 _ and  _ Shrek 2 _ . “Fat italian guy who turned boys into donkeys? Ring any bells?” All he got in response was the usual laugh and clueless look but now he’d sat down he didn’t want to get up again. 

“ _ Pinocchio _ . I’ve watched it with my daughter,” a deep voice interrupted the comfortable silence between the two friends and Adam remembered he was supposed to be working. He crawled onto his knees and was about to get up when he felt a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look up at the blonde-haired man. 

He looked vaguely familiar but then a video was thrust into his hand and he couldn’t help but snort at the look on the guy’s face. It was worse than the looks Strahm gave him. That along with the fact that he pretty much had the man’s junk in his face made him bounce up on his feet and spring into defensive action. “Then you’ll know that I'm just one of the donkeys, trying to entertain and keep living. How can I help you, sir?” 

Visabilly annoyed by the snarky reply, the customer was quick to alert Adam of his authority. “Doctor. Doctor Gordon.”

Something about him was already doing Adam’s head in, even if it was only the association of seeing him that night right after his meeting with Strahm. “Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as  _ Bond _ , do you have a first name or are you too good for one?”

“Lawrence. My daughter wasn’t a fan of the movie you recommended. The Goblins gave her nightmares.”

He’d had no idea the movie was for a child’s viewing, but even so things could have been a lot worse. “Maybe  _ The English Patient _ would have been a safer bet, or some other critically acclaimed borefest where nothing happens.”

“At least she might have been able to have a peaceful sleep” Lawrence countered. 

“Well you’ve got the perfect tone of voice for a cringey bedtime story.” 

“You don’t know a thing about me or my family.” 

“Who doesn’t love Bowie for crying out loud?” Adam protested.

“You’ve got a point there” Amanda interrupted, stepping between the two men before this could escalate any further. “How does a free rental on us sound?” she suggested. 

Finally a hint of a smile formed on Lawrence’s lips as his eyes stopped piercing into Adam’s soul. For a second Adam had forgotten his colleague was even there. Lawrence seemed unpredictable in that moment, tethering on the edge of either starting a fight or storming out of the store in the same manner Adam had the week before. He looked hopelessly tired but Adam didn’t let himself feel sorry for a man dressed immaculately and wearing a watch that probably cost half his retail salary. 

Lawrence nodded and followed Amanda to the customer service desk. Adam thought he heard the other man murmur “Surprised you’re still here,” but surely this guy had bigger things to worry about than pissing off a shop worker. 

Adam managed to avoid the other man’s gaze until he saw him leave the store. He distracted himself by fumbling for change in his pocket for a gob-stopper. A confrontation like that at the beginning of his shift had left his body feeling like jelly. Keeping his mouth busy was the only way to stop his anxiety spilling out into a swearing contest with Strahm. When he next saw Amanda he gave her a nod - the closest she was gonna get to a thanks for helping him out. 

He kept quiet for the rest of the night. 


	3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

_3\. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)_

_Friday 3rd December 2004 (2/2)_

Lawrence had no idea why he was standing outside the video store at 10pm that night. Then again he hadn’t made the best of choices recently and going for a walk in the rain was just another occurrence to add to the list. Although his long winter coat was protecting him from the cold, the downpour drenched his hair and made it stick to his face. His fist hammered on the door, even though according to the sign the store should have closed by now. When his knocking was ignored, he grabbed his flip-phone out of his pocket and dialed the number plastered under the massive _Blockbuster_ sign. He could see a light on in the back office and he wasn’t about to give up and head back home. 

For some reason, the blinding lights and chaotic nature of the store felt more welcoming to him than his dark and depressing bedroom at home. He hadn’t even bothered to put Christmas lights up yet - Diana had already helped Alison with hers and she was spending less and less time with her father. If he spent any more time at the hospital his colleagues were going to start asking him intruding questions about his home life. 

“Strahm, i’m in the middle of banging your wife here-”

“Adam?” 

The line was silent for a moment, both men suddenly not wanting to overstep the mark. 

“Are you really -” he began, puzzled as to why he was now picturing Adam bending a woman over a desk in the backroom. “I’ll go.”

Adam seemed to realise who he was now and chuckled, “Ah Doc, the more the merrier!” 

Minutes later Lawrence was following him inside the store, bracing himself for a bunch of insults and awkward questions. He took the video out of his pocket. “I returned the wrong one earlier. You should have a case with _The Shawshank Redemption_ in it _.”_

“Your favourite movie - no doubt” Adam concluded teasingly, his back to the other man as he led him into the staff room. Lawrence hesitated at the door. This wasn’t a place for customers and on top of that he wasn’t sure if Adam really did have a woman in the backroom. 

To his relief there was no one else in sight. The first thing Adam did upon entering was lean over to the cabinet in the corner and pull out a B _lockbuster_ cap. “Let's hope this looks good on you” he smirked, patting it onto Lawrence’s mess of wet hair. 

The older man found himself stunned by the worker’s actions. The unpredictability was intriguing and it was far too tempting to rival his reckless attitude. “Thanks, I'd rather have the safe combination.” 

“As if you need anymore money, _Daddy Warbucks_ ” There was a hint of malice in his voice, mixed with something Lawrence couldn’t quite place. 

“You’re not even old enough to have seen the original Annie.”

“And you _are_? Good thing I work at a video store. I can travel to any year I want.” 

“What are you gonna quote now, _Billy Elliot_?” 

Adam shrugged. “A good movie but not my kind of musical. I’m more into _Rocky Horror_ and S _lumber Party Massacre Part Two_.”

“I’d never have guessed from your eyeliner,” Lawrence chuckled and waited for a retaliation. 

Adam rolled his eyes. "I uh-" the younger man began before he seemed to lose his train of thought, instead choosing to elbow Lawrence in the ribs. Their eyes locked for a moment as Adam jumped back away from him as if he'd fallen into a trap.

"Ouch" Lawrence smiled, feigning an injury as if he was winding up Alison. “I don’t know, it probably suits you?” 

He could have sworn he saw Adam blush before he retorted lamely, “Well my last girlfriend seemed to dig it enough. Sometimes you just gotta experiment a bit. Take a risk, Doctor.”

“I think i’ll pass on the recommendations.”

“Just don’t pass them on to your daughter.” He seemed to wait a moment for Lawrence to make a come-back, searching his face for a reaction.

Shockingly Lawrence was beginning to enjoy his banter with Adam and felt guilty for how he’d treated him before. “Look, i’m sorry if I took things out on you-” he began earnestly but Adam shook his head and his smile dropped - “Sit down a sec, I'll sort out your video.” He gestured to the battered sofa in the corner of the room. It was facing a small television set with a movie Lawrence didn’t recognise put on pause. 

The shop assistant disappeared for a few minutes and Lawrence took in his surroundings, noticing a sleeping bag in the corner beside a pair of shoes. He hadn’t noticed that Adam had been walking around barefoot, as if he was chilling out at home. On the other side of the room the fridge was humming and the sink was full of dirty mugs. Surely this tiny little room wasn’t the same place that Adam and his manager had been arguing in.

Adam came back in having successfully made the video switch. He sat down on the sofa with Lawrence and handed him the movie. “Enjoy watching Tim Rice.”

“It’s Tim Robbins.”

“Of course it is.”

“Tim Rice is the guy who wrote the Joseph musical with Andrew Lloyd Webber.” Lawrence immediately regretted sharing that he knew that information. 

“The one about the guy with the pride flag coat?”

“I’m not sure that’s exactly what it’s about, but yeah.”

“You’re the one who just proved that you’re into musical theatre. No judgement here, just surprised you’re not a fan of Bowie.”

Adam’s shy smile was infectious and Lawrence was about to ask him what the movie on pause was when Adam stood up to turn it off and start locking up. 

“I never said _I_ didn’t like the movie. Diana got scared and I shouldn’t have taken the chance on a random selection by you.”

Adam seemed tense at that, as if it was a personal attack. “Diana - your daughter? You’re right, can’t rely on the rats and expect them not to infect the place.”

Lawrence sighed, getting up to leave. “Adam, all this really doesn’t matter. It was a silly misunderstanding.”

Adam pulled the blinds down and stood by the window fiddling with the string. “The rains stopped. Slam the door on your way out, sometimes it gets stuck. Get changed first if you want.”

Confused for a moment, on his way out Lawrence saw a Blockbuster t-shirt on the customer service desk. He shrugged off his coat and shirt, all the while waiting for Adam to poke his head out of the office and laugh at him. That image was much more comforting than seeing the sadness that seemed to infect him whenever Lawrence did something wrong. The guy seemed like a ticking time bomb, but already he’d made Lawrence feel more alive than he had all day in the ICU.

To his surprise a nervous laugh did come from behind him as he thoughtlessly inhaled the scent of the t-shirt. “Sorry about the cigarette smell, but that one’s big on me. I don’t need it anymore.”

Now it was the doctor’s turn to close himself off, embarrassed by what the other man might think of him. 

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, have to check its top quality right?” Adam quipped. 

Lawrence threw it on now without hesitation, trying not to think about how ridiculous he looked, still wearing the cap and letting his coat expose the t-shirt’s bright blue hue. “Thanks Adam, I appreciate it” he replied cautiously, wondering why he hadn’t just waited until tomorrow to sort the video, but feeling relieved that he hadn’t. 

Adam closed the door to the office once again and Lawrence finally headed home. 


End file.
